I said I would do one in-depth comic book review every week, but this week really demands that I deliver two, because two of my favorite books came out this week and they both delivered, though to varying degrees. In this review, I will review and reflect on Big Dog Ink's LEGEND OF OZ: THE WICKED WEST #14 from a theological perspective.
First, let's begin with what I liked about the book, as a comic book reader. Visually, there is no more stunning book out there than LEGEND OF OZ. From the first page on, over and over again there are panels and pages that are works of art unto themselves. The artist and colorist on this book just boggle my mind with their talent. I like the use of full-page spreads. I would have prints of every page on my wall, they are that good.
Second, the storyline is interesting. I have just come to love the character of the Tin Man in this book, almost as much as I love the Scarecrow, and that is saying a lot. Seeing some of the abuse he takes is hard, as he's been kind of invulnerable up to this point. It is similar to the emotions DC writers can bring up by having Superman get a beat-down. Beyond that, the character development in this book has been so good, that I genuinely care about the character and that helps. Its like Stephen King's ability to take a character and get you to know them intimately, and then just messing with them in ways that make you uncomfortable. I hated seeing the Tin Man get tortured here. And it made me angry at Dorothy that she hasn't found some way to do something about it yet. That brings up some thematic issues I want to touch on more in a second.
Now for the negative. Unlike most books in this series, this issue and the last have been a little off on pacing. That is a big disappointing, as this has been one of the best paced books I have ever encountered. Perhaps Manning is just not as good at this as Hutchison, I don't know. What I do know is that the slowness of the storytelling, and the choppiness, is more conspicuous here than it would be in other books BECAUSE of the excellent pacing that marked the book early on.
As a minister, I liked the thematic elements explored. Dorothy's character has gone in a surprising, genuinely surprising, direction. Her place as the new Wicked Witch of the West, which was a huge shock to begin with, has obviously changed her in ways that we don't fully understand yet. The central question of this issue, and really of the last few issues, is this: "what does one do with vast power one doesn't fully understand?" What is the effect of giving power to the powerless? Kingu, one of the chiefs of the flying apes, made huge errors because he was drunk with power once he took the throne, and now he has to struggle with the burdens of leadership.
Dorothy is in roughly the same place. The powers of the Wicked Witch allow her to see her friends suffer, but she seems unable to actually help them, which is frustrating for her and for us. You get angry at Dorothy, seeing her watch as someone she (and we) cares about suffers and being so aloof about it. One of the difficulties when trying to take power away from those who abuse it is the danger that the oppressed who overtake their oppressors will become oppressors once power is theirs. And even when power does not corrupt, inexperience and ignorance in its use can sometimes be even more dangerous than malice.
That these themes are subsumed under the telling of an ancient story...the story of the flying apes, is a wonderful feat of storytelling, but the deeper themes are there, and they really come to surface in this issue. As usual, I encourage anyone and everyone to go out and find LEGEND OF OZ: THE WICKED WEST, get caught up and start collecting future issues. It is a book that deserves support.
My overall rating is 4 Stars out of 5.
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